HRH Prince Harry, British actresses Karen Gillan, Gemma Chan and Joanne Froggatt (with husband James Cannon), former New Zealand prime minister Sir John Key, polo players Nacho Figueras, Malcolm Borwick and J. B. Lee, nez Barnabé Fillion, blogger Chris Burt-Allan, and Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll were among the celebrities and VIPs attending the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup held at the Singapore Polo Club on Monday.Sentebale is a charity cofounded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, helping children and young people affected by HIV–Aids in Lesotho, and, as announced in 2016, Botswana. The polo event is a regular fund-raiser for the charity. To date, it has raised over £4·5 million and supported over 2,000 children and adolescents.
Guests observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the London terrorist attacks that happened on Saturday evening.
Prince Harry’s ISPS Handa team defeated the St Regis team, captained by Nacho Figueras, with a score of 5–2. The best playing pony was awarded to Caldera, played by Nacho Figueras.
Borwick, who serves as the Royal Salute world polo ambassador, also played. Figueras is a Sentebale and St Regis ambassador.
Both the newly knighted Sir John and Gillan handed out bottles of Royal Salute Polo Edition to the team, and Gillan presented the winner’s trophy.
At the post-match dinner at the St Regis Singapore, Prince Harry said Sentebale’s Let Youth Lead programme aims to have all youth in sub-Saharan Africa know and manage their HIV status by 2020.
Peter Moore of Royal Salute and Sentebale CEO Cathy Ferrier were also present. Royal Salute itself has donated over £1·5 million.
A Royal Salute 21 Year Old Polo Edition whisky, donated by Royal Salute’s director of blending Sandy Hyslop, in a hand-illustrated wrap by artist Natalie Reid, is being auctioned online with a reserve of £7,000. Netizens can bid on the entire auction lot until June 14 at www.royalsaluteauction.com.
‘Through youth-led campaigning, training and advocacy, the initiative allows young people affected by HIV–Aids to be heard. We hope this will create a platform where the needs of young people in the region are listened to, from the need for adolescent-friendly health services, more trained counsellors in rural areas and better sexual reproductive health education in schools. Young people know what works for them and their friends, so we must listen and take note,’ he said.
Both the Prince’s father and paternal grandfather, HRH Prince Charles and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, have played at the Club.
Other sponsors of the event were ISPS Handa, St Regis Hotels & Resorts, BMW, and British Airways.